Vienna, alas! I had been waiting for ages to visit this captivating city... ever since I fell in love with the Blue Danube when I watched the Strauss Family miniseries during primary school. Vienna or Wien is an important cultural and musical hub even from the era of Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Haydn and Schubert. I did not buy the Wien Card because it only gives small discounts for admission fees...no free admissions like Salzburg Card! I was actually begin to feel tired of museums....hence only planned to visit very few places.
On this day, I started with the Museums Quartier. Here, there is a cluster of top museums. I bought a combo ticket of MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst) and Leopold Museum. I had really good time in the latter, gazing at the works of talented Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. Leopold Museum has the largest Schielle collection in the world.
After good few hours, I took a break from museum and explored the rest of the city on foot. Just across the road are two more gigantic mirror image buildings of Natural History museum and Kunsthistorisches. They are of good reputations but I could not stomach another museum hence continued straight on across the Maria Theresa Platz to enter the Heldenplatz via Palace Gate. Here lies the impressive Neue Burg that houses the National Library. Nearby is the Spanish Riding School and Sisi Museum, both I skipped because I am not particularly interested in horses nor personal belongings of Empress Elizabeth. Instead, I walked along Kohlmarkt to reach Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral). This famous Austrian emblem with beautiful tiled roof and high north tower named Alter Steffl (Old Steve) was first built in 1147. Mozart's wedding and funeral was carried out in this majestic cathedral. To see the cathedral in details, visitors have to join the guided tour with euro 4.50 fee. There is barrier that does not permit entrance to the tomb of Emperor Frederick III, altar and pulpit without a ticket...At Stephansplatz, there is a ticketing office that sell tickets to opera, operette and musical performances. I bought a ticket for operette only for euro 3.50 but no seat of course (standing post).
Retraced my steps back to the Museum Quartier to visit the MUMOK, which regrettably not as good as I expect. I guess I just do not derive joy from indulging in extreme art form of actionism where the artists use nude body, blood splash, animal carcasses, self cut and other disturbing acts. All portrayed as series of photos left me feeling uneasy and traumatized. And I am not the only one who feels so because later at night when I chatted with a fellow dorm mate, a French guy, he felt the same too. The video work of Maks Cieslak especially In Cloud Nine adds a cheery air to the somber mood of the museum. I actually laughed watching the video as the script is really witty and original.
Next is exploring the Ringstrasse with clusters of public building with grandiose and neo classical designs. The Parliament is gorgeous and reminded me of Palazzo Venezia in Rome. One can join the guided tour of the Parliament with a fee but it is only at certain hours of the day. Further north is the Rathaus but repair work was ongoing. The Volksgarten nearby is a delightful place for evening walk. Lastly was a short visit to Burggarten with Mozart statue. As I walked along the long street of Mariahilfer Street towards my hostel, I found a Japanese-Chinese buffet at euro 8 and ate to my heart content. Happiness!!!
On this day, I started with the Museums Quartier. Here, there is a cluster of top museums. I bought a combo ticket of MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst) and Leopold Museum. I had really good time in the latter, gazing at the works of talented Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. Leopold Museum has the largest Schielle collection in the world.
After good few hours, I took a break from museum and explored the rest of the city on foot. Just across the road are two more gigantic mirror image buildings of Natural History museum and Kunsthistorisches. They are of good reputations but I could not stomach another museum hence continued straight on across the Maria Theresa Platz to enter the Heldenplatz via Palace Gate. Here lies the impressive Neue Burg that houses the National Library. Nearby is the Spanish Riding School and Sisi Museum, both I skipped because I am not particularly interested in horses nor personal belongings of Empress Elizabeth. Instead, I walked along Kohlmarkt to reach Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral). This famous Austrian emblem with beautiful tiled roof and high north tower named Alter Steffl (Old Steve) was first built in 1147. Mozart's wedding and funeral was carried out in this majestic cathedral. To see the cathedral in details, visitors have to join the guided tour with euro 4.50 fee. There is barrier that does not permit entrance to the tomb of Emperor Frederick III, altar and pulpit without a ticket...At Stephansplatz, there is a ticketing office that sell tickets to opera, operette and musical performances. I bought a ticket for operette only for euro 3.50 but no seat of course (standing post).
Retraced my steps back to the Museum Quartier to visit the MUMOK, which regrettably not as good as I expect. I guess I just do not derive joy from indulging in extreme art form of actionism where the artists use nude body, blood splash, animal carcasses, self cut and other disturbing acts. All portrayed as series of photos left me feeling uneasy and traumatized. And I am not the only one who feels so because later at night when I chatted with a fellow dorm mate, a French guy, he felt the same too. The video work of Maks Cieslak especially In Cloud Nine adds a cheery air to the somber mood of the museum. I actually laughed watching the video as the script is really witty and original.
Next is exploring the Ringstrasse with clusters of public building with grandiose and neo classical designs. The Parliament is gorgeous and reminded me of Palazzo Venezia in Rome. One can join the guided tour of the Parliament with a fee but it is only at certain hours of the day. Further north is the Rathaus but repair work was ongoing. The Volksgarten nearby is a delightful place for evening walk. Lastly was a short visit to Burggarten with Mozart statue. As I walked along the long street of Mariahilfer Street towards my hostel, I found a Japanese-Chinese buffet at euro 8 and ate to my heart content. Happiness!!!
Neue Burg
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